Chapter 162: The Alluring Goddess's Charm
After the daytime bustle faded, the weather turned sharply cold. At this hour, Meining University's campus was much quieter than usual. Only couples unafraid of the chill strolled along the paths, bundled in scarves against the biting wind.
Along the road, solitary figures were rare. Normally lively Peony Lake was now peaceful and still. But near the lakeside by the Student Activity Center, a young man dressed all in black—shirt, pants, and scarf—appeared. His skin was dark, his hands buried in his pockets, and he walked across the empty grass leisurely, as if without a care.
He was Cai Yu. Having just taken the bullet train from Mingzhou to Meining, he represented the Cai family at the Meining city government's banquet for foreign guests. After sending his bodyguards away, he entered Meining University alone to admire the rare nighttime scenery.
Meining University was one of Southeast Province's top institutions, a prestigious school with a long history. But compared to the elite universities of Beijing, Shanghai, Qinhuai, or other major western cities, it still lagged behind somewhat.
He was curious about what kind of university this was—how it could suddenly produce so many dazzling stars, achieving back-to-back breakthroughs on two century-old medical challenges for humanity.
It was beyond his imagination. He knew all too well how far behind Huaxia's natural sciences had fallen compared to the West. Yet here, in a school not even among the nation's most famous, problems unsolved by developed nations had been conquered one by one. It was not only a miracle in medicine but a miracle in human history.
And the ones who created this miracle were students trained on this very ground beneath his feet.
He wanted to see it for himself—to find out what kind of magic this place possessed.
But after wandering for quite some time, he was disappointed. Other than the pleasant scenery, neither the students nor the buildings seemed particularly special. Of course, perhaps he hadn't looked deep enough.
Eventually, he reached the lakeside beside the Student Activity Center. Ahead to the right stood Baiying Hall, the student center itself; to the right, the museum; behind him, the Nanguang Building; and up ahead, turning right and walking straight, was Meining University's west gate.
He decided to leave. Though not as cold as Beijing, the sea breeze here made it feel even chillier.
Rather than aimlessly wandering, he might as well return to more important matters. His time was too valuable to waste even a second.
"Seems like the sudden rise of talent here was pure coincidence." Cai Yu tightened his collar, hunched his shoulders, and began leaving the lakeside, heading out of Meining University.
A marble path ran along the lake's edge. Under the trees, the dim lights cast long, shifting shadows.
Just as Cai Yu was about to leave, he heard footsteps ahead—the sharp, rhythmic clicks of high heels striking stone.
He craned his neck to look—and froze.
Before him stood a stunning beauty. A tall, statuesque woman—taller than him, even more so with her heels.
As the heir to a wealthy family, he had met countless beautiful women—movie stars, models, flight attendants, socialites—all too eager to throw themselves at him.
But Cai Yu had always lived by one rule: better none than cheap. He wasn't like other young heirs who drowned in wine and women. He had principles.
He always made sure to truly understand a woman first. She didn't have to be gorgeous, but she had to benefit his ambitions. Otherwise, he'd rather have none. Over the years, he had rejected countless women—so many that he was still single now.
But tonight, he decided to abandon all those so-called principles.
Because the woman before him had shattered his standards entirely. Beautiful—so beautiful it took his breath away. Even from afar, her faint air of cold indifference, her exquisitely delicate features, her proud curves, snowy skin, and long, perfectly proportioned legs—all of it was flawless perfection.
If the most beautiful women were considered A-grade, then she was beyond that—an S+ grade goddess.
Such a woman could make him forsake all his ideals. From the first moment he saw her, he knew—this was the woman he wanted for life.
Of course, he already knew who she was. Before coming to Meining, Du Hong's grandson, Du Yuheng, had told him Meining University had two sights: Peony Lake before Baichen Building, and the Goddess Fei atop Nanguang Building.
That meant she must be Yang Fei.
Cai Yu prided himself on not being reckless. He would never act like other heirs, rushing up to ask a beauty for her number—that was far too vulgar.
Yet Yang Fei made him want to be vulgar, just this once.
Watching her graceful figure sway closer, he felt his throat go dry.
Calm down, he told himself. He never fought unprepared battles. When Du Yuheng had mentioned her, he hadn't paid much attention—he knew little about Yang Fei at all.
That wouldn't do. Cai Yu always gathered full intel before taking action. For now, he restrained the urge to speak, inhaling her faint fragrance as he slipped his hands back into his pockets and brushed past her.
After a few steps, he stopped, watching her silhouette slowly fade into the distance. His heart pounded wildly. How could such beauty exist in this world?
He walked to the roadside, pulled out his phone, and quickly dialed a number.
"Tian Rong, look into someone for me—Yang Fei from Meining University. I want everything about her, by tomorrow morning."
Hanging up, he suddenly noticed a black Range Rover parked behind him. He glanced at the license plate. His memory was sharp, and a name flashed in his mind—Zhang Yang, head of Nuwa Company and rumored boyfriend of Qiao Xier. Tian Rong's files had mentioned both the car and plate.
Cai Yu smiled. A successful young man indeed—but still too young.
But then the car door opened, and Zhang Yang stepped out.
He had heard everything—the black-clad man's entire phone call.
He needed to confirm whether this guy posed any threat to Yang Fei.
"Hey, you crow. What's your name?" Zhang Yang stopped two or three meters away, speaking casually. Since this guy wanted a full background check on Yang Fei, Zhang Yang had every reason to be wary—and zero reason to be polite.
Cai Yu slowly slid his hands back into his pockets, then paused. Crow?
He must mean me. Cai Yu glanced at his all-black outfit, a vein twitching on his temple. But he didn't get angry. Instead, he looked at Zhang Yang and smiled faintly. "You're Zhang Yang, right? President of Nuwa Company?"
Cai Yu believed that to defeat any opponent, one must first throw them off balance. That was why he'd exposed Zhang Yang's identity in one move.
Zhang Yang froze. This guy—someone he'd never met—actually knew his name. That was strange.
"That's right, I'm Zhang Yang. So… what kind of bird are you?" Zhang Yang said nonchalantly, though inside, his guard was up. Li Momo had warned him he was seventh on Spade Eight's hit list. Could this guy be one of those assassins?
His dark skin and sharp gaze—traits only seen in hardened killers. Showing up here alone, with no clear reason, made him all the more suspicious. If he was working solo, then his combat skills must be formidable. Zhang Yang stayed alert.
Meanwhile, Cai Yu's face darkened slightly. Zhang Yang had insulted him twice now, and though he didn't show it, he was annoyed. "Crow" and "bird"—both were degrading terms. He debated whether to reveal his name.
Then came the familiar clicking of heels—Yang Fei had returned, likely drawn by the sound of voices.
Cai Yu saw her long, beautiful legs appear in his view again. His throat tightened. This woman was breathtaking.
He tore his gaze away and looked at Zhang Yang. The man was handsome, with a reputation for strength—rumor said even assassins couldn't handle him. But Cai Yu wondered, could Zhang Yang beat him? He was a true karate master, after all.
Cai Yu was a clever man, even in matters of romance. Right now, perhaps he had a chance to impress the beauty.
He believed only a striking entrance could capture the attention of a goddess.
"Who I am doesn't matter," Cai Yu said, pulling his hands from his pockets. His dark face revealed a flash of white teeth. "In a sense, we're enemies."
The Cai family's Yongxing Fund had already acquired Bai Group—naturally making them and Nuwa Company rivals, enemies.
"Enemies?" Zhang Yang glanced at Yang Fei. He checked his watch—ten minutes to seven. That was their agreed meeting time. Aside from his recent trip to Beijing, he was always punctual.
He couldn't let this guy get anywhere near Yang Fei. That was all that was on his mind now. Those bastards killed without hesitation.